


A House of Cards

by elkcrossing



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 01:26:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15830901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elkcrossing/pseuds/elkcrossing
Summary: AU where "we screwed right on the kitchen table, on the breakfast dishes" was actually how Beth and Rio met.





	A House of Cards

**Author's Note:**

> It was only a matter of time before one of us wrote this lol
> 
> Enjoy!

Years later, Beth will not be able to remember how she made it through that morning. She had drunk enough vodka that, at her age, she should have been bedridden for at least a couple of days. Call it muscle memory or trauma induced autopilot, but she had woken at dawn. Buddy had gotten a decent walk, the kids’ lunches were made, and she even managed a pancake breakfast before dropping them off at school on time. She was vaguely aware of her aching head and sore stomach, but it somehow faded into the background in her first morning as a single parent.

Once her babies had ambled beyond her view, her brain abruptly checked back in with her. She swore at the sudden pain in her skull and jumped as the car behind her began to honk. It was a bad idea to wave angrily at a parent she probably knew well, but she did it anyway, pulling sharply out of the school parking lot with misdirected anger.

She needed another drink. Both Annie and Ruby were at work, so Beth would be on her own, but the idea of sitting along in that ridiculous house could not be stomached. Her children’s home had three mortgages, could so easily be taken from them. Their sense of safety and stability had become a trembling house of cards in less than a day, and what could Beth do to protect them? She had lost count of the lies she had accepted,  _believed_ from Dean, who could likely be back at the house. She needed at least another day before she could face him. Maybe she would never have to. Annie would love to act as a go-between – she had never quite warmed to Dean.

For years, Beth had dismissed it as familial jealousy – Annie did not share well – but now it seemed to be yet another sign she blew by without any attention. Could she have seen this coming? Could she have prevented this?

So, no, the house is out of the question. She debated stopping at a liquor store and then crashing at Annie’s – maybe Ruby’s, but no, she could not be a mess in front of them again. She was the pillar of strength, the caretaker of their group. Plus, she had four children, people like her were not allowed to fall apart. A bar would have to do, no easy feat this early in the morning.

Beth pulled into the first place that looked open, unsurprisingly a plain and dingy building, small and generally without advertisement. She parked her car, and stayed there for ten minutes, just breathing. A couple of large men lumbered out the unmarked door, sour-faced and heavily tattooed. She tried to consider turning around, to stop being ridiculous and go back to fix her home and marriage. Back to the person she had been raised to be.

The inside of the bar was much nicer, surprisingly, suffused with a dark warmth that reached her, down to her bones. She took a seat, primly placing her purse on the counter while she waited for the bartender to move towards her.

“Bourbon, please, no ice,” she asked the bartender, trying to project more confidence than she felt. Beth knew that people were staring, but there was no running away now. Slowly, the bartender nodded, moving to grab a tall glass. He watched her face carefully, pouring far more than a couple of fingers. Beth made a note to tip well.

She tried to sip, to pace herself – she had not eaten much that morning, too queasy at the thought, and Beth had suffered enough embarrassment for at least several lifetimes.

Beth wondered if anyone knew. Were there mothers and wives that smiled at her at the PTA, on fields trips, on playdates, only to gossip about poor Beth Boland, too stupid to notice her husband’s infidelity, too incompetent to keep her husband’s attention. Annie and Ruby would have told her, obviously, the second they had heard any rumors, but neither one of them was as deeply entrenched in the neighborhood life as she was.

She could hear her mother’s disapproving voice in her head – chiding Beth for letting this happen, for kicking Dean to a motel. She could fill in the blanks of the lecture she would surely have received had her mother still been alive, but what more was she supposed to have done? She had dropped out of university to have their first child, had given up a potential career to raise the four of them. She had breakfast in the kitchen every morning, and dinner every evening. She cared for his father when he suffered his stroke, kept the house clean and in order – organized every facet of their lives together.

Was it just the sex? Had she stopped being attractive to him? Was it the post-baby pounds, their post-baby lives? She tried to exercise as much as she had time for, tried to force her body back into the shape it once was, but it fought her every step of the way. Maybe Dean had craved their past so much that he went out to find it. Did she make him so unhappy?

Why was she not enough, when her entire life revolved around taking care of him, of their family?

“Sweetheart, tell me you ain’t drinkin’ on an empty stomach.”

Beth looked up from her drink wearily, ready to get defensive. The man standing beside her was tall and very attractive. His sweater was baggy, the hood hanging half off his head, but she could still see the dark lines of a tattoo running across his throat. He looked like someone she should turn away from. She scoffed and sipped her drink instead.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” she said (hopefully) haughtily.

“Well, it is, if my boy has to clean up after you ‘cause you’re drinkin’ to forget,” he said with a smirk, tilting his head towards the barman. His hands were pushed deep into his hoodie, and god, he looked so young like that.

“He’s the one who poured my drink,” Beth snapped, draining the rest of her glass in on go. The stranger’s smirk disappeared, and he shot a dark look at the bartender. The barman put his hands up in silent defense, and quickly turned away from them.

“Yeah, well, I’ll be havin’ a word with him, he shouldn’t be takin’ advantage.”

Beth’s head imploded. “I beg your pardon,” she said with a sneer, “I’m a grown-up who wanted a drink, who ordered a drink. And I’m going to have another. I don’t need any  _man’s_ permission to do so, so you can just go.” She raised her glass pointedly at the bartender who, infuriatingly, looked first to the stranger. “Excuse me!”

“Go ahead, Carlos,” the stranger said amusedly, “one for me too.” Without looking again at Beth, he sidled into the stool next to her, taking a generous swig from the glass Carlos handed him. He placed Beth’s glass in front of her, as well as a bowl of pretzels. She felt like one of her children, but she could not help but glare at him.

“So, what are we drinkin’ to?”

Beth swilled her drink in her glass, took a few minutes to decide her answer. “My cheating husband,” she finally said. The man beside her winced, Carlos let out a long whistle. “She’s more of a child than a woman – I don’t even think she can legally drink. God, if he was going to cheat, couldn’t it have least been someone who can rent a car? Someone closer in age to me than one of his kids?  _Christ.”_

“Damn, mama, when’d you find out?”

“Last night. He’s been spending money we don’t have on lingerie for her.”

“Dumbass.”

Beth turned to him. “Did you know that houses could be mortgaged three times over? That doesn’t seem right, that can’t be legal.”

The man shrugged, sympathy lining his face. “Shouldn’t be.”

“ _Damn it._ What am I gonna do? I dropped out of school to have his kids. What have I done?”

“Trusted the wrong guy, happens to the best of us.” His voice was quite soothing, low and rhythmic. She failed to hear any judgment or pity, as hard as she tried.

“I’m Beth,” she said, offering her hand. With a smile and a slight laugh, he took it.

“Ain’t you proper. Rio.”

“What do you do?” she asked, mindlessly pushing pretzels into her mouth. They may have had a point, she suddenly felt ravenous.

“I’m a business man,” Rio said with a very wide smile. It occurred to Beth that he was not telling her the truth, not entirely, but his eyes were dark, with a brightness to them that she was finding distracting. His barely there scruff would leave her skin red and raw, she knew. It would linger for almost a week before it would fade. He would almost look lost in the large hoodie around his frame, but the way he spoke, the way he held himself – he looked anything but.

“Would you like to come back to my house? For a drink?” she asked, trying to make it sound more like a statement than a question. She felt shameless and mess, but there was a sudden feeling of  _want_ clutching her insides.

Rio leaned closer, humor dancing in his eyes. “You sure that’s a good idea, darlin’?”

 _No._ “Yes.”

Rio stood, pushing their half-finished glasses away and offering her his hand. She took it, feeling surprisingly clear. The fuzziness of the bourbon had begun to fade. She tried to pull her wallet out of her purse, but Rio stopped her.

“I can pay.”

“I know, but this one’s on me.”

“I have the money, you don’t need to do that.”

Rio sighed with a smile (he did that so easily, as if it cost him nothing. When was the last time she had smiled so quickly, so freely?), and gently chucked a knuckle under her chin. “I know, but I want to. There ain’t no strings attached. Let me buy you the drink.”

He would let her pay, if she insisted, Beth could feel it. She tried to look for a hidden agenda, something to be made suspicious of. Eventually, she dropped her gaze with a murmured thank you, waving slightly to Carlos, who was doing a poor job of pretending not to listen.

When they reached her car, Rio slid into the passenger seat, giving Beth pause. She had been waiting for him to insist her would drive. The way Dean always had. Did. She shook her head, shook  _Dean_ away, and joined Rio in the car. He was watching her calmly, an assessing quality to his gaze.

“What?”

“Nothin’. Nice mama van.”

“Shut up. It’s practical.”

“I’m agreein’,” Rio said thoughtfully.

The bar was farther out than Beth had thought. She had not realized how long she drove to get to Carlos’ bar. It was possible she had had slightly too much to drink, but she felt in control. There was a clarity to her mind, a fierce freedom, bringing a strange, attractive man back to her house. She should feel nervous, but it was outstripped by the heart-pounding excitement coursing through her. Had Dean felt like this, when he bent his secretary over his desk?

Rio whistled when she pulled into the driveway. “Nice place.”

“You want it?” Beth asked, mostly joking.

“Nah, thanks,” Rio said with a grin, “I got my own bills.”

“Make sure you tell your wife if you can’t pay them.”

“I ain’t married.”

“Better not be. But when you are.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Beth unlocked the door and lead Rio inside. A small part of her hoped Dean would be there as she reclaimed herself. But only Buddy greeted them, sniffing enthusiastically at Rio, who immediately dropped to his knees. Beth left them to get acquainted, went looking for something to drink. The wine and vodka had been polished off, but she found an unopened bottle of scotch in Dean’s ruined office. Dean would be furious, it had been an expensive gift from a client.

Rio found her there. “Damn,” he said approvingly, “Remind me never to piss you off.” Beth could not think of anything to say to that, so she handed him the bottle, pushing passed him into the kitchen. She grabbed a couple of glasses, feeling embarrassed by the mess of her kitchen. She had hardly had time to feed the kids, let alone clean up. The syrup would be hardening on their plates – it would be a total pain to clean.

Panic started to grip her when Rio opened the bottle. “Look – I… I don’t think this is a good idea, maybe you should go? The house is a mess, there’s still laundry to do, and Buddy didn’t really get his run –” Rio abandoned the scotch and moved closer to her, Christ, so close, did he have a fever? Why could she feel the heat from his body so acutely? He cut off her rambling with a kiss, and she sank into him.

Rio’s kiss was gentle, though firm, and not at all what she wanted. Beth pressed harder into him, nipped his bottom lip, gripped the back of his neck tightly. He groaned, and in a moment was up to speed, holding her hair tightly in one hand. Beth’s life was falling apart, every foundation was crumbling, but Rio was strong and steady, and seemed unshakeable from where she stood.

The thought of releasing him to go up the stairs seemed unbearable, and Beth did not want to do this in her shambles of a marriage bed. Rio caught on when she unzipped his jeans, his hoodie, tugged his shirt in a matter of seconds. The bone-shaking feeling of desperation felt foreign, it had been so long since she had felt this wild and free. She kissed down his throat, leaned back to see the proud eagle stretched across his neck. It should look stupid, but no. Nothing about this man belongs in her arms or her house – she would appall every person in her life if they could see her.

Rio seemed as impatient as she. He nearly ripped her blouse off, undid her bra with a quick flick of his fingers (why did that make heat rush to her lower stomach?). As he buried his face in her breasts, setting his teeth and fingers against her pale skin, she shoved his jeans and boxers down, scraped her toes along his calves until he begrudgingly lifted his feet. She pushed him away, slightly, so she could kick his clothes away and get a better look at his cock. She lightly touched it, running her fingers along the shaft until Rio bit his lip, then hers with a snarl.

Her yoga pants and underwear disappeared in the following moment. Rio grabbed her by her waist, spinning them and lifting her onto the kitchen table. She whined when he suddenly pulled away, which brought him back with a curse, kissing her all over again.

“Just – I need to – grab a,” he panted against her lips, and while she nodded mindlessly in agreement, she would not let him go. “Elizabeth, please,” he implored, and why did her full name on his lips make her toes curl?

“Okay, okay.” She released him regretfully, curled her fingers around the edge of the table to stop herself from chasing after him.

He pulled a condom out of his wallet, dropping it carelessly on the floor and racing back to her. She had her arms reached out towards him and had she thoughts to spare she would have found the sight funny. But neither of them did, and he was taking too long now, his shaking fingers slipping on the wrapping. She yanked it from him, opened it with her teeth, and a new wrestling match began.

“I can –”

“No, no, let me.”

“ _Elizabeth,”_ Rio huffed against her hairline, reproachfully pressing kisses to her face as he surrendered. She rolled the condom on slowly, drawing it out so she could feel Rio shudder in her arms again.

“Please,” she whimpered, as Rio pressed into her, and suddenly her grip on reality was lost to her. Her orgasm caught her by surprise, striking through her like lightning. When she opened her eyes again, Rio had his forehead pressed to her shoulder, spitting curses in – was that Spanish? She hooked her ankles around his hips, tugging him to her.

He faltered for a second, but then they fell into the same pace. She lifted her hips off the table to meet his, a strong arm snaked around her hips to help. Beth could see more tattoos on the backs of his arms, his shoulders. She ran her fingers over the black lines, pinched the inked skin until his muscles twitched.

“Damn it, woman,” Rio hissed, tilting her head back so he could kiss her. It should feel more animalistic than it does – there is a sweetness, a tenderness to their movements, to the lush way he presses his mouth to hers. She wouldn’t call any of this gentle, can feel bruises setting along her skin. She would feel this for days; the ache of his memory would linger.

That thought set her off again, and he was not far behind, pounding his hips into hers in frenzied movements. Eventually, they both stilled, leaning into one another and trying to catch their breaths.

“Wow,” Rio murmured against her temple. Beth blushed and buried her face in the crook of his neck, tasting the sweat on his skin. They remained there for a long while, languidly kissing and stroking every inch of one another. Beth would have kept him the whole day – Dean had been instructed to pick up the kids – but then Annie started calling frantically and Rio’s phone began to buzz, and they were forced to separate. Defiantly, Beth only pulled on his hoodie. There was no point to her getting all the way dressed again – she needed a shower first. Rio did not fight her, just smiled and kissed her silly.

“See you around, darlin’,” he finally said, when he could not ignore his phone any longer. Beth had no idea what to say – it had been too long since she had been in this situation. Had she ever, really? She had met Dean in high school, and she suddenly felt quite keenly all she had missed in the last two decades.

She settled for pressing her lips to his for a long moment. “Bye,” she said quietly, unable to look away, “thank you.”

He managed a weak smile. “Anytime.” Then he was gone, out the door, not looking back. Beth’s phone screeched at her again, and this time she answered it.

“ _Beth?!_ Where have you been?”

“Just driving around, Annie, geez, what’s wrong?”

\--

Weeks later, as Ruby sobbed over hospital pills, Annie panicked over legal bills, and Beth shouted at Dean over their mountain of debt, she lost her temper. She left her kids with Dean at his crappy motel and gathered Ruby and Annie in her kitchen with generous glasses of wine.

“We’re going to rob that store,” she told them, fire in her eyes and exploding in her soul.

\--

“Hey Buddy… you wanna go potty? You need to go pee-pee?”

“Nah, he’s good. We already took him out.” Beth screamed and dropped her groceries before the voice registered with her. She saw the golden gun on her counter, felt fear spiral down her spine, before she realized it was Rio, slouched on the same counter he had pressed her against a few weeks before. 

 

"What do you want?" Beth asked numbly, replaying that morning in her head, trying to understand what she had missed. Was that Carlos, leaning against her sink?

 

"Oh, relax, sweetheart," he said, hopping off the counter. He pressed his hands into his hoodie, and sauntered towards her, a grin creeping up one side of his face. "I just need you to call your lady friends over so we can all have... a little talk."

 

"About what?" Beth asked - how did he know about Ruby and Annie? Had he been following her? Was this some extortion ploy?

 

"Oh, about the money you stole from us." Rio's men stayed where they were in the kitchen, even as Rio moved closer towards Beth. Her reaction was embarrassing; she could feel how red her cheeks were becoming. She could not bring herself to back away, but Rio finally came to a stop, his toes just touching hers. He lifted a finger and gently traced it over her jawline.

 

"You know," he murmured, "you could've just asked for my number."

 


End file.
